The top ten moments of 2018

As another year draws to a close (how did that happen?!), we reflect on the key events of 2018 which have had an impact on the world of Comms-care and across the IT channel.

Nothing stands still for long in the technology sector and naturally it’s been an eventful year, bringing with it both highlights and challenges for our business and the wider industry.

Our top ten memories from 2018 are:

1. Comms-care was awarded Service Partner of the Year by Insight UK
   Recently listed at number 8 in the Top 100 VARs 2018 report by CRN, Insight UK awarded the prestigious Service Partner of the Year accolade to Comms-care at their 2018 Partner Forum. We were delighted to receive this award and be recognised for the consistent provision of ‘world class service experiences’.
2.  Unlocking new opportunities and valuable insights at key vendor conferences
   Comms-care attended a number of key vendor conferences this year including Microsoft Inspire in July and Cisco Partner Summit in November, providing new insights and exclusive opportunities.
3. Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal
   One of the biggest data scandals came to light in March, revealing that Cambridge Analytica had harvested personal data from millions of people’s Facebook profiles without consent and used it for political purposes. It comes as no surprise that recent reports show Facebook users’ confidence in the company has plunged by 66% as a result.
4. Privacy took centre stage as GDPR came into force
   After years of speculation and two years of stark warnings, GDPR came into effect on 25 May 2018, transforming the way companies collect, store and process data. However, six months after the deadline reports suggest that only 29% of EU-based organisations have fully implemented the regulation, leaving many organisations susceptible to major penalties.
5. Comms-care appointed a new Managing Director
   In June Comms-care announced that Mark Forster, formerly Operations Director, would replace Ben Davies as the new Managing Director of Comms-care. Other changes in the Management team saw Rob Darby appointed to the role of Commercial Director and both Mark and Rob were promoted to Director level within the Ingram Micro Group, making them part of the Ingram Micro Executive Leadership Team in the UK.The Comms-care Board of Directors is now Mark Forster, Managing Director; Rob Darby, Commercial Director; Steve Holah, Finance Director; Simon Day, Professional Services Director.
6. The UK channel saw increased adoption of AI and IoT
   This year has seen an overwhelming boost in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), with reports signifying that their moment for the channel has arrived. As more customers are starting to exploit the technology, vendors are rolling out solutions and making strategic acquisitions to strengthen their hand in these technologies. Don’t miss our AI whitepaper to be released in the New Year, which will take a closer look at the buoyant market trends.

7. Celebrating achievement and togetherness at our Comms-care Employee Excellence Awards 2018
   One of the most important dates in the Comms-care calendar every year is its Employee Excellence Awards, where we celebrate what makes us different – our people. Held in Nottingham this year, the event followed a Robin Hood theme. From fighting knights to medieval proclamations, there was plenty of action! Twelve awards were presented to our star performers in recognition of truly ‘going the extra mile’, demonstrating the Comms-care ethos.

8. Another great night at the CRN Channel Awards as they turned ‘25’
   Comms-care attended the prestigious CRN Channel Awards 2018 in November. This glittering event is one of the most established nights in the IT channel calendar and an event we are proud to support as Social Media sponsor.Hosted by the very funny Katherine Ryan, we enjoyed a great 90s themed night, in honour of the Awards’ humble beginnings. Comms-care was shortlisted for Channel Service Provider of the Year for the fourteenth consecutive year, which is a huge achievement in itself and a record we’re extremely proud of.

9. World Quality Day 2018
   This year’s World Quality Day, an initiative that Comms-care supports each year, centered on the essential relationship between quality management and trust. Amid GDPR, data scandals and the prevalence of ‘fake news’, trust has never been more important.To recognise and support this year’s pertinent theme, Comms-care hosted a day of activities for employees, designed to help them consider the meaning of ‘trust’ and how Comms-care is trustworthy for stakeholders; resilience, quality service, dependability and honesty were common themes.

10. Brexit turbulence
    Of course, we couldn’t write a review of 2018 without mentioning the ‘B’ word. Brexit has been an ever present factor this year with much turbulence, analysis and discussion and it seems at the time of writing that things are more uncertain than ever. Right now we have no idea what is to come on this subject but we can be sure that whatever the outcome, it will significantly shape not just the year ahead, but all our futures.It has certainly been a great (and busy!) year with significant events, changes and developments that have set us up for what’s just around the corner.

We look ahead to 2019 with optimism and the new opportunities that will unfold, as well as the fresh challenges it will create.We wish all our partners a Happy New Year and continued success in 2019 and beyond.